In spite of a Constitution that says Congress shall make no law infringing upon such things as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, due process, and a whole host of other civil liberties, the Bush regime has managed to get bills passed by the federal legislature that gut all these freedoms and more. We are truly existing under a fascist dictatorship, where the courts are stacked with cronies loyal, not to the Constitution but to the dictatorship and to corporations; and where the legislature passes bills that undermine and eliminate Constitutional freedoms.
The monsters who seized power in December 2000, and the cowards, cronies and enablers who have let them do whatever they want with impunity, have screwed us over time and again. And there is no limit to what they do, no checks or balances.

Yesterday, after the U.S. senate passed a bill allowing George W. Bush and his flunkies in the DoJ to spy on Americans with no due process or court oversight, the house of representatives followed suit. And they did it with help from so-called Democrats who -- again -- caved in to fear and the politics of convenience.

Ladies and gentlemen, what is our recourse? What can we do to end this nightmare? Congress not only refuses to impeach the criminal, treasonous and terrorist Bush regime; it aids and abets this gang of thugs regardless of which major political party runs things. What is there for We the People to do?

Michael, I'm afraid that there isn't much left of "We the People." It's now THEY the Corporations, THEY the Politicians as Usual, and/or THEY the Bush Loyalists. WE, meaning you, me, and others like us, don't count anymore. Our votes don't count, and even when they seem to, such as in the mid-term election of 2006, they sell us down the river.

Unfortunately, most Americans couldn't care less. They're more interested in Barry Bonds and his homeruns than they are in the slow erosion of their own freedoms.

We've been bought...and sold by the neocons in 6 short years.

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

It seems to go back a lot further than that. Civil liberties have been eroded for decades. But before, we had a Congress that at least acted like it cared. Since Reagan...I don't know if that was the catalyst, or the failure to put Nixon in prison where he belonged, but it seems like executives from Reagan on have been able to get away -- literally -- with murder and all we can do is sit and watch, and hope things get better on their own. We're waiting for some hero, some knight in shining armor. But there is no one. We have to do it ourselves, and the only way for that to happen is for us to get off our butts and do something.

I was watching CSPAN's Washington Journal this morning while I was doing a million other things..as usual. Most of the callers were adamently against this latest spy tactic. One caller from Houston, Texas was so angry, I'm sure his blood pressure must have been through the ceiling. He called Bush a spoiled little spoonfed cockroach that the Congress continued to babysit. He said when he went to vote in 2008, he was going to vote for a Republican if a Democrat was up for re-election and a Democrat if a Republican was up for re-election. It didn't make any difference, he said. They're all alike.

And yes, Michael...it DOES go back further than Bush the Shrub. I am becoming more and more convinced that had Nixon been actually punished for his crimes against the American people and the Constitution, we might not be in this mess today.

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

The day after President George W. Bush marshaled political forces in Congress to grant him greater authority to engage in counterterrorism-related spying, the president stated that he would seek greater changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act when the legislative branch returns to work in September.

"While I appreciate the leadership it took to pass this bill, we must remember that our work is not done," the President said in his Sunday statement. "This bill is a temporary, narrowly focused statute to deal with the most immediate shortcomings in the law."

The President said next month he would focus on further immunizing private companies that cooperate with government wiretapping. However, he used complicated language to describe these activities.

"When Congress returns in September the Intelligence committees and leaders in both parties will need to complete work on the comprehensive reforms requested by Director McConnell, including the important issue of providing meaningful liability protection to those who are alleged to have assisted our Nation following the attacks of September 11, 2001," he said.

One constitutional scholar derided Bush's reasoning, particularly the tortuous language in his statement.

"Apparently 'allegedly helped us stay safe' is Bush Administration code for telecom companies and government officials who participated in a conspiracy to perform illegal surveillance," wrote Yale Law Professor Jack Balkin in a Monday morning blog post. "Because what they did is illegal, we do not admit that they actually did it, we only say that they are alleged to have done it."

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

hitler transformed the german sheeple into what he wanted in less than 10 years............the bushicons are doing it in even less time cath.

your right, we've been bought and sold.

we now live in a complete corporate controlled dictatorship. proof is told as we see an outright criminal that we know is lying as he faces congress and tells some of the biggest bunch of bullshit since watergate. lying gonzo.

everyone knows he's lying in a concerted coverup facilitated by the bushicons. the dems are either too powerless or lack the pair it takes to stand up for the truth.

everyone knows he's lying in a concerted coverup facilitated by the bushicons. the dems are either too powerless or lack the pair it takes to stand up for the truth.

i hate this.

I don't understand the Congressional Dems because, in some areas, there are a few firecrackers among them, such as Murtha, Kucinich, Conyers, Waxman....and I am wondering why they aren't better leaders...why can't they "rally the troops?" Is it lethargy? Do they ALL feel that they are entitled to be Congress Critters for the rest of their lives and it really doesn't matter whether or not the Constitution is defended? Are they all so affluent that they no longer even attempt to identify with or understand the regular, everyday American on the street?

Another thing that I hate are those Americans who are so quick to say, "Well, who cares how much they spy on us? I, for one, have nothing to hide."

THAT'S not the issue!

The issue is that they're doing it illegally, and whether or not one has anything to hide, Bushco should be REQUIRED to follow the letter of the law by getting the required warrents to do their spying. I'd also like to know just how EFFECTIVE is this spying and what has it accomplished. Let's see some "terrorists" and their buddies who have been caught as a direct result of this spying program.

AND Nixon should've been punished....harshly. If he'd been punished, maybe those that came after him and who are now in complete power over us wouldn't be where they are today.

_________________

"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

Another thing that I hate are those Americans who are so quick to say, "Well, who cares how much they spy on us? I, for one, have nothing to hide."

You know the old saying, "you give them an inch, they take a mile." What people don't understand is, what comes next. Searching your house? Going through your underwear drawer without a search warrant? Then people will realize but it will be too late.

This isn't much of a reply to the content of the article, but I appreciate the posting of the article, Michael, your work on maintaining a vigilant eye.

I see pockets of resistance in America, here and there, some on political fronts, some on other fronts, and vast tracts of black silence in between those pockets of resistance. All these good people from various sects, but few of them know about each other outside their own group, let alone "the American people."

So I'm working on becoming a leader in America who joins these pockets of resistance together, standing in the gaps, jumping arcs of electricity between them so that the various groups begin to know about one another, making each other stronger. I don't even know 100% how I'm going to accomplish this, but I'm working on it . . . I'll ever be as my life on Earth transpires. [chopped on purpose -GR]

In this vein, I appreciate your vigilance in having the tenacity and patience to overcome the obstacles of each day and post this information. Keep rockin', baby, and know that your efforts will pay off.

everyone knows he's lying in a concerted coverup facilitated by the bushicons. the dems are either too powerless or lack the pair it takes to stand up for the truth.

i hate this.

I don't understand the Congressional Dems because, in some areas, there are a few firecrackers among them, such as Murtha, Kucinich, Conyers, Waxman....and I am wondering why they aren't better leaders...why can't they "rally the troops?" Is it lethargy? Do they ALL feel that they are entitled to be Congress Critters for the rest of their lives and it really doesn't matter whether or not the Constitution is defended? Are they all so affluent that they no longer even attempt to identify with or understand the regular, everyday American on the street?

Another thing that I hate are those Americans who are so quick to say, "Well, who cares how much they spy on us? I, for one, have nothing to hide."

THAT'S not the issue!

The issue is that they're doing it illegally, and whether or not one has anything to hide, Bushco should be REQUIRED to follow the letter of the law by getting the required warrents to do their spying. I'd also like to know just how EFFECTIVE is this spying and what has it accomplished. Let's see some "terrorists" and their buddies who have been caught as a direct result of this spying program.

AND Nixon should've been punished....harshly. If he'd been punished, maybe those that came after him and who are now in complete power over us wouldn't be where they are today.

Keep in mind that Kucinich, Murtha and other firecrackers are not supported by their own political party. It's extremely difficult to rally people when half of them are scared of the GOP to the point of paralysis while the other half is in bed with Republicans.

"The administration ultimately attracted the support it needed to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act from moderate Democrats who felt pressed to act before the recess.

For the White House and its Republican allies, the decision by the Democratic-controlled Congress to act quickly was critical to safeguarding the country this summer as intelligence officials spoke of increasing “chatter” among Qaeda suspects.

To many Democrats who opposed the action, it was a reflection of fear mongering by the White House, and political capitulation by some fellow Democrats.

“There was an intentional manipulation of the facts to get this legislation through,” said Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, a Democrat on the Intelligence Committee who voted against the plan."

Who remembers a proposal, placed on the table, each state would house, educate and keep all students in a campus like dormatory on state property from Sunday evening , through the week until Friday evening when the parents can have them over the weekend?

I myself started checking into private schools at that point in time because no one was going to take my child from me.

At that time I also learned that a lot of our tax dollars were being funneled into religious schools and private schools so it would be easy to propogandize our young fresh plyable minds.

Adolph Hitler started by disarming the population and then the teaching of the children to be loyal servants .

Can you see the comparison people?

If Hitler had not been insane and have been a little more patient - I would venture a guess he would very well be in full control of the world, if alive today.

The Republican party made a BIG mistake by putting little bushie boy in out top office. Where they figured he could easily be manipulated because of all his failures as a human being, little did they realize he actually believed he was in full control and had earned the right to be commander-in-chief.

Are you sure about that, deeann? It seems to me that the Republicans have gotten just about everything they've ever wanted during Bush's presidency...everything their greedy hearts desire and darned if there aren't far too many Democrats going along with them! They want some of that pie, too. Whether or not the Repubs bargained on Bush's stubborness, they've still won the day because Bush is a psychopath. So was Hitler, but America helped defeat Hitler. Who is going to come along and rescue America from Bush?

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman